My Beautiful Nightmare
by xXBlackOpalsXx
Summary: She swore never to dabble in black magic. However, she was willing to do anything to see him again. As they always say: desperate times call for desperate measures...even if it did mean messing with something she feared. SEQUEL TO MY BLOODY REVERIE
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello, lovely readers! Well, here it is: The sequel to _My Bloody Reverie_! I hope you all enjoy this prologue I whipped up for you all.

DISCLAIMER: (I'm only putting one disclaimer to suffice for the entire story.) I own nothing in this story except for a few things. Those things are: Kelsie Douglas, William Hopkins, Kelsie's Family, Will's Family, Any New Characters I think of, and this story's plot. Anything else, such as the characters of Sweeney Todd or song lyrics, belong to their respective owners. I'd appreciate it if I wasn't sued or anything along those lines.

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The same nightmare always haunted me…

_A choked cry escaped her when she felt something plunge into her back._

Even after five months, it still invaded my sleep almost every night…

"_You'll never have him."_

It would start out so nice…

"_Nothing will be left here after tonight. I will have had my vengeance. We're going away. Far away. It's time to escape this hellhole."_

_"We?"_

"_Yes, we."_

But it would always take a turn for the worst…

_"No! Let me out! Please!"_

I would see them all…

_A stream of tears was steadily making their way down her cheeks._

Mrs. Lovett was always first…

_Mrs. Lovett still had a grip on her necklace as she fell. __The strain of the two forces pulling on it finally made the thin, silver chain snap causing Kelsie to collapse to the ground. Her skull cracked against the stone floor and blood began to seep into her auburn curls. Every shallow breath from her one working lung (the stab to her back caused the other to collapse) caused her extreme pain and also more blood to gush from her wounds. Within moments, black began to eat away at her sight and her body started going cold. The last thing she saw was cold, brown eyes glaring at her._

Next I would be with Toby…

_The minute he saw her, Toby launched himself into Kelsie's arms. "The-the pies!" he sobbed, "They're made out of humans! There're bodies in the corner! A man just fell down from a chute covered in blood!"_

Then Sweeney…

_"I'm dieing," she told him._

_"I know."_

_"I love you."_

_"…I love you, too."_

_With her last bit of energy, Kelsie sat up and kissed him. When her strength failed her, she fell back down into his lap. Tears began to leak from her eyes. "Sweeney, tell me a story," she requested, eyes beginning to grow heavy._

I would wake up in the hospital…

_An annoying beep was the first thing she heard. She cracked open her eyes but immediately snapped them shut due to the bright light. "Kelsie?"_

_It was a voice she hadn't heard in a long time. She tried to talk, but it felt like sandpaper was lodged in her throat. "M-Mom?" she eventually croaked out._

The doctor would come in…

_"Okay…I'd better go get your doctor. He'll want to know that you're awake."_

_Ironically, a man dressed in a lab coat holding a chart walked in almost seconds after Kelly said that. "Well Miss Douglas, I'm glad to see that you're awake! We were real worried about you there for a little while. How are you feeling?"_

Then he would sit down…

_"Miss Douglas, there's something you should know…"_

He would gently take my hand in his and tell me:

"_Miss Douglas, you were four weeks pregnant when you came into this hospital…"_

I would sit there in shock… I hadn't noticed that I had skipped my period…

"_P-pregnant?"_

However, Dr. Hudson would spoil my budding excitement…

_"Unfortunately, due to the massive blood loss and trauma you sustained, the embryo was not able to survive…I'm so sorry…"_

I would always wake up sobbing. No matter how many times I had that nightmare, I could never prevent the tears. I had been pregnant! I was going to have a baby! Sure, it was pretty early on in the pregnancy when I lost it and I didn't even know about it, but it was still my child! I think I deserved to be a little depressed over it. Not only did it mean that I lost my baby, but it meant I also lost my last thread connecting me to Sweeney Todd.

I knew Sweeney was dead. The minute I was out of the hospital I did some research and found an old London newspaper on the Internet about the discovery of four bodies plus the ashes of another in a bakehouse of Fleet Street. Those people could have only been the Beadle, the Judge, Mrs. Lovett, Lucy, and Sweeney. It briefly mentioned that a sixth body was supposed to be there but was never discovered. (I assumed they were talking about my body, but I couldn't figure out how the police knew there should have been six. Could it have been Will?) The article concluded with saying that the murderer was never found.

One question constantly plagued my mind for the longest time: How did I get back to my own time? Eventually, I thought of, in my opinion, a pretty reasonable theory. I believe that the magic running through me sensed the danger I was in and sent me back itself. Dr. Hudson said it was a miracle that I was alive when I came in. This also got me to believe that my magic was able to keep my heart beating despite the odds set against my chances of pulling through.

A crazy idea hit me four months after being home. If magic could prevent death, why couldn't it bring someone back from it? It didn't take me long to find the correct spell and instructions that I needed. The only problem was that the spell involved some extreme black magic. I had always hated dabbling in black magic. I'd even sworn years ago to myself that I would never use it again after a run-in with some pretty nasty spirits. However, desperate times did call for desperate measures, and I was willing to do just about anything to see him again…Even if it meant messing with something I feared.


	2. London Bound

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry that it took forever for me to update! Lots of stuff has been going on these past few weeks. My arm has also been set into a splint because I have this cyst on my wrist and they think that binding it will make it go away (really doubtful though), so it's really hard for me to type right now.**

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Chapter 1: London Bound

London, England: One of the few places in the world I would have preferred to avoid.

"Kels, are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick!"

Unfortunately, when you're going on a summer trip in Europe with a friend who's parents are paying for both of your fees, you don't really have much of a say in where you get to go.

"Hey, girl, relax! We haven't even lifted off yet!"

I started when a hand gently squeezed my shoulder in a reassuring matter. I turned my head to look at my best friend. Madeline, AKA Maddie, Adams and I met our freshman year of high school. The brown-haired, blue-eyed tennis player and I hit it off almost instantly when we ended up sitting next to each other in our Algebra I class. Since then, we were rarely seen without the other. My family became like her family; her family became like mine. Our close tie to each other's families is the reason why her parents decided to fund her trip as well as my own as a reward for a job well done in our first year in college.

Maddie had known that I was a witch since our sophomore year. She was my best friend (besides Will of course) therefore we had no secrets between us. Much like Toby had been, she was skeptical about the whole thing until I gave her a demonstration of my powers. She also knew about what had happened to me when I went back in time. (In fact, she was the only who knew what happened.) One night when we were having a sleep over during winter break,needing to talk to someone about it, I broke down and told her everything.

When I told her my plan about bringing Sweeney back from the dead, after telling me that I was absolutely crazy, she made it her mission to help me in anyway that she could. Since she had also taken French, we both got to work on translating the rest of my great-grandma's spell book. It took us two months to get the entire thing into English due to our busy college lives getting in the way. Some of the darker spells we translated turned out to be pretty gruesome and actually involved sacrifices. We eventually uncovered the exact spell and instructions we needed for a resurrection. Turned out that I would need to go back to the place that the deceased one took their last breath to perform the ritual. That's when Maddie got the idea for us to take a trip around Europe over our break.

So there I was, sitting in the cockpit of a plane that was ready to fly off to London. My nerves were definitely frazzled by idea of returning to that place. Even though almost an entire year had passed since I had last been there and the nightmares had gradually become less and less, the memories of what had happened in that city still caused a shiver to run down my spine. "I'm okay, Maddie. I'm just scared."

"Of the plane? Or…?"

"Of London."

"Kels, you knew you would have to go back there eventually. You need to go back there if you really want to get him back."

"I know, I know…"

"All passengers please find your seats and buckle your seatbelts. We will be taking off in approximately five minutes."

I inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled through my mouth in an attempt to calm myself down. There was no turning back from that point; I was London bound.

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**A/N: I know that it's kind of a slow start, but I promise it'll pick up! I have lots ofgood ideas for this story!**


	3. That Old Black Magic

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all the lovely reviews for both the prolouge and the first chapter. I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Remember, reviews make me smile and encourage me to crank out chapters faster. :)**

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Last Time on My Beautiful Nightmare:

_I inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled through my mouth in an attempt to calm myself down. There was no turning back from that point; I was London bound._

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Chapter 2: That Old Black Magic

The nine-hour flight from our lovely Great Lake State, more commonly known as Michigan, to London had Maddie and I reeling from terrible jet lag. We were both so exhausted that we both nearly passed out in the back of the cab we managed to snag. Our driver was a very nice man who understood our pain and spared us from conversation besides asking for our destination. The minute we got to our hotel room, we collapsed in our beds. We didn't even have the energy to attempt to change into our pajamas! The only thing I had the strength to do was dig out the Tylenol PM I had packed into my suitcase. Once I was nice and drugged, I crawled back into my bed and was asleep before my head could even hit the pillow.

The fact that I was officially back in London didn't hit me until I woke up buried beneath the fluffy comforter and multiple pillows of my hotel bed. Despite my lingering jet lag-induced headache, I got up and padded across the room towards the balcony. I slid open the door and stepped out into the cloudy afternoon. Water from the storm that had passed through that morning soaked the bottoms of my feet as I made my way over to the railing. The city was a lot different from how I remembered it. Modern and antique clashed together which created an entirely new look for the city I had lived in. I knew I would never be able to easily navigate the streets like I had been able to do with before.

"I'm back and I will find you," I muttered determinedly, gazing out at the horizon, "I promise."

Maddie awoke about a half an hour later. After we got some food in our stomachs, we both set out to start our day. The first thing on our agenda was to get the supplies that we would need to perform my spell. I had done lots of research prior to our trip and was able to find a shop that would sell all the things we required. The old fortuneteller dressed in many skirts and gaudy jewelry was deeply surprised when we wandered inside; it was easy to tell that she hadn't been getting many costumers. A broad smile came over her face as she walked forward to greet us. For a moment, I thought of Mrs. Lovett and how excited she would get whenever someone came to the shop in its unpopular days. I quickly shook the thought out of my mind and focused on the woman.

When she reached us, she froze and looked at me with wide eyes. "It's been a long time since a true witch has come 'ere; especially one with such power coursing through her veins! How may I help you?"

"I'm actually looking for a few items to perform a spell with. I've got a list right here," I explained, trying not to be so surprised that she was able to sense my magic.

The woman took the list I had produced from my purse and put on a pair of reading glasses. "Hmmm…you must be performing a powerful ritual if you are needing all of this. Come along. I'm sure I've got all that you'll need."

In about ten minutes, my arms were full of supplies. I paid Nanny, as she insisted Maddie and I call her, and was about to leave with my friend when she stopped me. She grasped my hand with her knarred one and brought it close to her face. "I see…" she muttered, tracing one line on my palm, "You seek the one you love in death. Be wary my child, bringing people back from the dead is not an easy task. But if your love for him is true, you will find your way to him and will bring him back."

I nodded, unable to think of anything to say. I turned to go again when I was once again stopped. "It would've been a girl with your hair and his eyes."

My heart throbbed painfully. I had tried not to think of my lost baby as much as I possibly could. I had come to terms with the fact that there was no possibility of it—her—surviving through the trauma my body sustained. It was, after all, a miracle that I even lived. Besides, I was way too young to become a mother! There was no way I would have been ready to take care of her when I was only nineteen. However, hearing what she would have looked like made me feel like I was being stabbed all over again as I began to think of how everything could have been. Sweeney and I could have run away together like we had planned. We could have been our own little family… I quickly, left the shop without a word. Maddie was kind enough not to question the couple of tears that I hurriedly brushed away as we made our way down the sidewalk.

* * *

That night, we stepped out of our cab and onto the corner of Fleet Street. Although it had changed a lot, I still could recognize some of the older buildings. Hesitantly, I took a few steps forward and began to lead the way down the deserted street save the occasion car that zoomed by. "That used to be a bakery," I said, pointing to a bookstore, "I used to always end up appearing there whenever I traveled back. First time I did it, I ended up getting shoved down those stairs and busting my head. Mrs. Lovett was the one who found me…"

Maddie continued to let me chatter endlessly on about what everything used to be. My voice finally failed when we got to 186 Fleet Street. We gazed silently up at the sign that labeled the building as 'Kall Kwik', a printing company. However, we both knew what name was underneath all those layers of paint: 'Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium'. "Kels," Maddie whispered, giving me a slight nudge, "Are you sure you want to do this? We could just go back to the hotel if you're not ready."

"I'll be fine. Let's get this over with."

I dipped my hand in my pocket and pulled out my necklace. The triple moon goddess pendant glinted in the streetlamp's light as I held it up by its new silver chain to find the clasp. Once it was on, I muttered a very familiar spell. _"Permettez aux ténèbres de nous rendre invisibles." _(Let the shadows make us unseen.)

"Holy shit!" Maddie gasped as her body started to fade away.

I chuckled under my breath, remembering that I had a similar reaction the first time I used the spell on myself. "This is pretty cool!" Maddie's voice exclaimed from beside me.

"Yeah, but we'd better get a move on."

I turned towards the dark building and raised my slightly quaking hand. _"Ouvert maintenant." _(Open now.)

There was a purple flash from where my necklace was hanging and the door creaked open. "Alright let's go," I said, reaching out and grabbing Maddie by her invisible jacket.

Once we were inside and the door was shut behind us, I took the spell off of us. Despite the darkness shrouding the shop, I could tell the interior had been renovated. Even with the changes, I could still remember how everything once was. I glanced to my left and imagined the booth I had once sat at taking shot after shot with Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett as we talked about the plan to use human meat for the pie filling.

"_**For what's the sound of the world out there?"**_

"_**What, Mr. Todd? What, Mr. Todd? What is that sound?"**_

"_**Those crunching noises pervading the air?"**_

"_**Yes, Mr. Todd! Yes, Mr. Todd! Yes, all around!"**_

"_**It's man devouring man, my dears."**_

"**And who are we to deny it in here?"**

"Deny what in here?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, just got caught up remembering something. Didn't mean to say it out loud."

Maddie just shook her head. "Do you remember how to get down to the bakehouse?"

"Yeah, but can we check this place out real quick? I want to see how much everything has changed."

"Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Maddie, I'll be fine! If anything, I'll be worse off in the bakehouse than the rest of the place."

"Can we at least get a little light in here?"

"_Illuminez l'obscurité." _(Light up the darkness)

A ball of light formed in the palm of my outstretched hand and cast a dim glow a few feet around me. We wandered into the old parlor where I was reminded of my nineteenth birthday. The silver ring with the amethyst stone on my middle finger suddenly seemed really heavy. I could still remember every word she said to me that day she gave it to me.

"It had been me mum's. I don't wear much jewelry since they are too much of a hassle with the pies, and so I figured, since it matches your necklace, that I'd give it to you. Besides, it's been a sort of tradition to pass it down to a woman in the family since my great grandma, and, because I consider you one of my own, it goes to you."

Honestly, I never knew why I decided to keep the ring. One would think I would want to erase every thing connecting me to the woman who attempted to murder me but I just couldn't do it. Maybe it was because it reminded me that she really had once loved me? Whatever the reason, I just couldn't find the will to throw the trinket away.

We exited the parlor and made our way down the hallway beside the stairs leading the old barbershop. I paused halfway to what had once been my room. I found myself standing before Sweeney.

"_Go pack. We're leaving in the early morning."_

"_Wait! I know it may be early and that you probably don't feel exactly the same way…"_

"_What?"_

"_I think I love you."_

"Kels, you're talking to yourself again. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay, I promise! Stop worrying so much."

We went ahead and went inside my former room, which had a printer where my bed once stood. I was again flooded with memories of all that had occurred in there. Once I was finished reminiscing about Toby coming in to wake me every morning with a bright smile, it was finally time to go to the bakehouse. I felt myself begin to shake slightly as we descended the stairs. I froze just outside of the heavy iron door and gazed at it with wide eyes. Maddie took my hand and entwined her fingers with mine. "It's all right," she whispered comfortingly, "Nothing's going to hurt you. I'll open it if you want me too."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak for fear of throwing up. I felt my breathing pick up speed as Maddie placed her hand on the rusted lock and tugged it up. My eyes dilated when the door screeched open on rusty hinges that hadn't been used for years. My muscles tensed as I stared into the dark abyss in front of me. I didn't notice myself take a tentative step backwards. Sensing my readiness to bolt, Maddie quickly grabbed me by the wrist. "Kelsie," she said firmly, "you have to go in there if you really want to go through with it! You can't let yourself get scared of something that happened a year ago and will never happen again. If you love him as much as you say, you'll march in there and get him back!"

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I set my chin high and determinedly walked inside. "_Plus brillant," _(Brighter) I commanded the ball of light in my hand.

The light grew brighter and illuminated the entire room. I threw the ball up and it hovered in the air above my head. My newfound courage dwindled a bit when I found myself staring at the giant oven covered in dust. It almost completely failed me when I took note of where I was standing.

_"Sweeney, tell me a story."_

_**"There was a barber and his wife, **_

_**And she was beautiful… **_

_**A foolish barber and his wife, **_

_**She was his reason and his life. **_

_**And she was beautiful… **_

_**And she was virtuous… **_

_**And he was… **_

_**Naïve…"**_

"This is where I thought I died…"

We stood there for a moment in complete silence. Maddie eventually came over to me and placed the bag she was carrying on the ground. "You ready?" she asked me.

"It's now or never," I sighed.

I took out a box of red chalk and began to draw an elaborate pentagram that I had copied out of my spell book. After I finished the circle around the pentagram, Maddie began placing one white and one red candle at each of the points while I began getting out the other supplies. I took a bag of graveyard dirt and poured it out on the center of the drawing. I made an indent in the center of the mound so it could hold the tributes needed to perform the spell. I gently placed a leg bone of a cat, a pair of bats eyes, and the canines of a wolf into the hole before standing up to look at Maddie who was lighting the candles. "You should probably leave. I don't know what's going to happen once I start the spell, and I really don't want you to get hurt," I told her.

"No. I want to be here for you through the whole thing. Besides, if you get hurt, I'm going to need to be here to get you out of here."

"Fine, but stay by the door," I conceded.

I reached down and took the last three things out of the bag: a black cloak trimmed with crescent moons and the Nile moon goddess, a dagger, and my spell book. I handed the empty sack to Maddie before throwing the cloak on. Once Maddie was by the door, I shifted my gaze to the ball of light hovering above me. _"Éteindre," _(Extinguish) I commanded, pointing my finger at it.

The orb flickered and then died, leaving us in dim candlelight. I put up the hood on the cloak and opened my spell book. I got down on my knees and place the book between me and the graveyard dirt filled with my tributes. I picked up the simple dagger I bought and placed it against my palm. I hissed in pain as the blade sliced open my skin. I held out my bleeding hand and allowed my blood to drip onto the items in dirt. Once I felt that I had given enough blood, I quickly healed it. _"Guérissez-moi." _(Heal me)

The wound glowed purple as it sealed itself shut. All that remained after the glowing stopped was a small scar. I placed a hand on the page with the spell on it and began the incantation.

"_Les forces d'obscurité, je vous donne l'os du chat noir, les yeux de la batte, les dents du loup et du sang de mon corps. Avec ces hommages, je vous demande de me prêter vos oreilles. Je cherche celui qui a été volé de moi à cette même tache. Je supplie de vous de les rendre de la vie future au monde de la vie. Permettez-eux de me revenir!." _(Forces of darkness, I give you the bone of the black cat, the eyes of the bat, the teeth of the wolf, and the blood of my body. With these tributes, I ask you to lend me your ears. I seek the one who was stolen from me at this very spot. I beg of you to return them from the afterlife to the world of the living. Allow them to come back to me!)

The words on the page and the pentagram began to glow red and I could feel my power flowing through me. I heard Maddie let out a small scream when the tributes unexpectedly burst into flames. The flames of the candles grew brighter and taller. Wind began to pick up around the symbol and eventually combined with the candle flames to create a tornado with strips of flame in it. I carefully stood and watched the vortex swirl around me. I could hear the spirits whispering to me in the wind in a language I couldn't comprehend. I could even see a few of them flying inside of the wind whipping around me. I found myself, strangely, at peace amidst the chaos surrounding me.

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~*~Maddie's POV~*~

The moment the tributes Kelsie had put in the dirt for the spirits erupted into flames, I knew I should have headed her advice and went out. However, there was no turning back now, and I wanted to be there for my best friend. The last thing I wanted was for her to get hurt without me knowing. Having almost lost her last year, I felt a protectiveness come over me whenever it came to Kelsie Douglas. I didn't want to see her back in a hospital bed with machines keeping her alive ever again.

Seeing her sitting before the flames so serenely made my nerves calm a bit. She looked like she knew exactly what she was doing even though she had never performed such a spell before. Even when the wind began to pick up around her and blew the hood of her cloak off, she kept her cool and even stood up. Then she looked at me.

Her eyes had shifted from brown to a striking purple color that match the amethyst gemstones set into her necklace and ring. Her drastic change in eye color combined with the wind and flames swirling around her made her look unearthly. She looked frightening but, at the same time, really pretty. She gave me a reassuring smile before letting her eyes slide shut and raising her arms to the ceiling.

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~*~Kelsie's POV~*~

My peaceful moment inside the vortex was interrupted when I felt a rumbling beneath my feet.

_CRAAACK!_

I glanced down and saw a large crack beginning to separate the floor between my feet. Frightened, I looked over at Maddie who had a similar look of horror etched onto her face. She took a step forward to try and get me out but quickly backed away with a shriek when a flame took a swipe at her. The murmurs of the spirits grew to angry shouts and the wind increased in speed.

The floor was separating so much that I had to jump to one side. I looked down the widening crack and felt my eyes widen. I was staring down into a pit of red and yellow emitting an intense heat. I noticed something large and black hurtling towards me from the center of the pit. A scream tore through my throat when a hand composed only of bones grasped my ankle. The thing lifted itself fully from the inferno below, and I finally realized what it was. It was exactly like most people described and drew: only bones, the ominous black cloak, standing well at around seven feet tall, and the scythe. However, standing before the Grim Reaper in person was a hundred times more frightening than seeing pictures on the Internet or seeing him in your nightmares. I could hear Maddie screaming over the spirits' cries when she saw whom I was standing before.

The Grim Reaper grabbed me by the arm and began dragging me towards the edge of the hole. I instantly started fighting as hard as I could against his hold. "Let me go!" I screamed.

My necklace flashed like it did whenever I was being threatened, but my magic had no effect whatsoever on him. In fact, I think I may have annoyed him a bit by even attempting to use my magic against him. I screeched in pain as he jerked off the ground by the one arm he had a hold of. Tears spilled out of my eyes when I felt my shoulder pop and crack sickeningly as I was raised to his eye-level. The pain was so great that I could only open my mouth in a silent scream. The Grim Reaper swung me around so I was dangling precariously over the edge of the hot pit. It hit me at that moment that I was hovering over the entrance to Hell. "You must bring him back yourself, Witch," a voice hissed from behind the hood.

He let me go.

"KELSIEEE!"

Maddie's scream resonated in my ears as I fell.

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**A/N: Hope you liked the chapter! Don't forget to drop a review!**


	4. Hell Part 1

Last Time on My Beautiful Nightmare:

_"Les forces d'obscurité, je vous donne l'os du chat noir, les yeux de la batte, les dents du loup et du sang de mon corps. Avec ces hommages, je vous demande de me prêter vos oreilles. Je cherche celui qui a été volé de moi à cette même tache. Je supplie de vous de les rendre de la vie future au monde de la vie. Permettez-eux de me revenir!." (Forces of darkness, I give you the bone of the black cat, the eyes of the bat, the teeth of the wolf, and the blood of my body. With these tributes, I ask you to lend me your ears. I seek the one who was stolen from me at this very spot. I beg of you to return them from the afterlife to the world of the living. Allow them to come back to me!)_

_A scream tore through my throat when a hand composed only of bones grasped my ankle. The thing lifted itself fully from the inferno below, and I finally realized what it was. It was exactly like most people described and drew: only bones, the ominous black cloak, standing well at around seven feet tall, and the scythe. However, standing before the Grim Reaper in person was a hundred times more frightening than seeing pictures on the Internet or seeing him in your nightmares._

_"You must bring him back yourself, Witch," a voice hissed from behind the hood._

_Maddie's scream resonated in my ears as I fell._

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Chapter 3: Hell Part 1

"Hey, you need to wake up!"

I attempted to swat away the hand that was shaking me but stopped when a severe stabbing pain shot up my arm. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. It looks like your shoulder may be dislocated."

I cracked open my eyes and found a man hovering above me. He seemed to at least be in his late twenties with dark brown hair and gray eyes. I stared at him for a minute while contemplating how I ended up passing out and dislocating my shoulder. Then it all suddenly came rushing back to me. Returning to Fleet Street, the spell, the spirits, the floor opening up, the Grim Reaper, being thrown into the hole…I quickly sat up and took in my surrounding. All around were dark red stonewalls with dimly lit candles floating in the air. I could faintly hear tortured screams coming from a distance. "Welcome to Hell," the man said.

"Who are you?"

"Name's David. I was sent here to help guide you through this place. Trust me, the last thing you want to do is to get lost and get eaten by the hellhounds, possessed by a demon, eaten by a demon, or become a lost soul."

"Did the devil send you?"

"I was actually sent by God. The big guy doesn't really like it when those who don't deserve to go the Hell travel there willingly. He knows the devil will want to play some sick and twisted game with you, so He sent me down here to lend you a hand."

"And how do I know that you aren't a demon or even the Satan himself?"

"Excellent question! However, I have no way of answering you. I guess, you're just going to have to trust me, Kelsie."

"You know my name?"

"You think He would send me off to help you without giving me your name and a description of you?"

"…I guess not."

"Alright, enough chit chat! I can't relocate your shoulder for you, but I can at least make a sling for you."

"That's okay. I can just heal it myself!"

I placed my hand over my shoulder and said, "_Guérissez-moi._" (Heal me.)

…Nothing happened. No flash of purple; no healing. "What the hell?" I gasped.

"Ah, I probably should have mentioned this before: Your powers won't work here. In Hell, all powers are barred except for the Grim Reaper's and Satan's."

"I can't use magic? How the hell am I supposed to get back then?"

"That's another reason why I was sent here; I can help get you out! Now let me make you a sling, and then we'll get going!"

Out of nowhere, David pulled out a piece of cloth. Once he created my makeshift sling, he helped me to my feet. He took my free hand and began leading me down the dimly lit hallway we were in. The further we walked, the tortured cries I was hearing before were becoming clearer. When we reached a wooden door, he suddenly stopped and turned to me. "Beyond this door is the true Hell. Whatever you see, try not to scream or get sick. Above all else, do not try to help anyone you see. These people are paying their dues for the crimes and horrors they committed during their time in the realm of the living."

He opened the door and we both stepped through the threshold. My eyes widened in horror at what I saw. I was staring into a deep chamber created out of the same reddish stone and dimly lit by floating candles and torches on the walls. I saw people dressed in dirty rags chained together by their ankles dragging rocks up steep inclines to awaiting carts. Disgusting creatures of all shapes and sizes stood by the people holding whips made of fire. A gasp involuntarily escaped me when I saw one young woman collapse and one of the creatures brought the fiery whip down hard on her back. I didn't even notice that I was crying until David began to reprimand me. "Do not cry for them, Kelsie. These people are not ones who deserve your tears. In life, they did many terrible things and deserve the punishment they are receiving. Do you understand?"

"But Sweeney doesn't deserve this…"

"Yes, he does, or he wouldn't be in here. Did he not murder many people?"

I figured he must have taken my silence as a yes. "Come along. We have a little ways to go before we get to the one you want."

I let him take my hand again as he lead me through the chamber. We stayed mainly in the shadows so we would not be spotted by the demons patrolling the top of the cavern. We reached another door on the opposite side of giant room and slipped through it. All along the walls of the hall we were in were filled with doors. Each door had a small opening cut into the top with rusted iron bars across them. "These are the holding cells," David explained, "However, just because they are not slaving away in the pits does not mean they are escaping their punishments. Even in the walls of their cells, they are experiencing torment. These cells are specifically designed to bring up the worst memories of the one staying in them. For example, if your worst memory was being teased ruthlessly in high school, then every time you come to rest in your cell, you would relive those memories over and over again."

"Do people ever fully serve their time here?"

"Eventually, yes. However, it usually takes centuries until they are allowed through the gates of Heaven. It all depends on the severity of the crimes you did in life."

I tried block out the moans and cries coming from the cells as we passed them but it was proving to be very difficult. David tried to distract me from the horror surrounding me by asking me all sorts of questions about my life. I was beginning to tell him the story about how I ended up joining color guard when I suddenly ran into him. We were standing outside one of the cell doors. "Is this his cell?" I asked, feeling excitement bubble inside of me.

"No…I just thought that this would be something you should see."

He undid the lock and we both stepped inside. I found myself standing inside of the bakehouse on Fleet Street. I looked to my left and saw the meat grinder standing there full of human remains. I was confused; whose worst memories was I in? David cleared his throat and turned me so I was facing a different direction. In front of me, I saw myself standing beneath the chute looking at the bloody body of Judge Turpin. "It's over," I heard myself say, "It's finally over."

I saw Mrs. Lovett step out from the shadows and creep up behind me with a knife in hand. She raised the knife high and plunged it into my back. I could feel my scar sting at the memory of the pain. I knew whose memory I was in; I was with Mrs. Lovett. "You'll never have him."

I watched myself fall to the ground and begin to soak in a pool of my own blood. Mrs. Lovett dropped the knife she had used to stab me and collapsed by my side. She scooped my torso up into her arms and began to will me to wake up. She dipped her head down and placed a kiss against my forehead. When she lifted her face back up, I could see the tears streaming down her face. "Kelsie, NO!" David shouted at me as I began walking towards her.

Ignoring my guide, I continued to make my way to her. She flinched when my hand made contact with her shoulder. She whipped around and dropped my phantom body to the ground when she saw me standing before her. "K-Kelsie?" she whispered in disbelief.

"I'm alive," I simply said.

When my words registered in her head, the illusion surrounding us faded away. We were in a small cell. As she stood up and the dim light cast a slight glow on her, I got a good look at what had become of the woman who I had once considered to be a second mother. She was dressed in a dirty, torn dress that could have once been white, but that's not what shocked me about her appearance. I had to bite back a gasp when I saw that the left side of her face and other various parts of her body were badly burnt. I flinched away when I felt charred fingertips brush softly against my cheek. Eyes filled with unshed tears, Mrs. Lovett retracted her hand from my face. "I can' believe you're alive," she said, her voice hoarse, "I could have sworn you were dead."

"Magic," I explained.

"I should 'ave known," she sighed, shaking her head.

"If it's any consolation, magic couldn't save my baby."

Mrs. Lovett's eyes grew to the size of teacup saucers. "You were with child?"

"Yes."

"Mr. T's?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Yes."

Mrs. Lovett let out a small gasp, and the tears she had been trying to hold back came spilling out. She attempted to reach for me again with her burnt fingers. David grabbed my arm and began to pull me back. I broke from his hold and slowly approached my would-be murderer. My nose crinkled in disgust when I felt the rough, blackened skin touch my cheek and the aroma of burnt flesh assaulted began to assault my senses. "I'm so sorry, Kelsie," she sobbed, continuing to stroke my face, "So, so sorry. I just couldn't bear the thought o' you two being together…of him lovin' anyone but me."

Trying not to show pity, I stared at the dead woman before me. As she continued apologize through her tears, I began to think about if I could really forgive her for what she had done to me. I continued to stare at her blankly as she fell to the stone ground with sobs wracking her skinny frame. My eyes hardened as my mind made itself up. "You tried to kill me," I stated, "You couldn't accept the fact that you weren't the one Sweeney wanted at the end of it all! You couldn't take it that he could have been happy with someone other than you. So, you decided to get rid of me so you would be the only one there for him. I thought we were like mother and daughter!"

"We are!" Mrs. Lovett cried.

"No, we _were_! Mothers do don't kill their daughters no matter how jealous of them they may be! That's just not right!"

"I made a mistake! I didn't even realize I had done what I did until you were at my feet!"

"You don't deserve to be forgiven!" I screamed at her, "Because of you, not only did I almost die, but my baby girl never got the chance to live!"

"C'mon Kelsie, let's go," David said, insistently pulling on my arm.

"No! Kelsie, please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Mrs. Lovett pleaded, clutching the hem of my cloak.

I ripped the amethyst ring from my finger and threw it to the floor in front of her. "You betrayed my trust in you," I stated coldly, ripping the cloak from her grasp, "I don't think I will ever forgive you for what you did to me."

Although my words and countenance were as frigid as a blizzard's biting winds, I still felt my heart break at the sight of the broken woman at my feet. A part of me wanted to hug her and tell her that I wanted to go back to how everything used to be; a time when she was the person I was closest to and could put complete faith into. However, there was a larger part of my being that wanted nothing more than to walk away and never ever look back to the disgusting creature who almost succeeded in killing me. Ignoring the wails and sobs of the one I had could have once easily called 'Mother', I allowed David to lead me from the cell.

* * *

A ways down from Mrs. Lovett's cell, I broke down. David held me while I cried. He tenderly held me in his lap and rubbed circles on my back in an attempt to bring me a little comfort. He didn't seem to mind the snot and tears I soaked his navy blue button-down shirt with. When my sobs had turned to small hiccups and sniffles, he spoke to me. "If I had known that all of that was going to happen, I wouldn't have taken you in there. That was a huge mistake on my part. I'm sorry."

I nodded mutely and stood up. I wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks and set my eyes on the path before me. We began our walk in silence, but as time dragged on, I couldn't help but seek a distraction from my thoughts and the screams surrounding us. "David…how did you die?" I asked, regretting it instantly, "I'm sorry, that was rude! Forget I asked that."

David began laughing at my flustered state. "It's okay, Kelsie. You're a curious person! I actually had cancer. I fought it for years and years. It started out as prostrate cancer and the doctors were able to rid me of it for a while, but it eventually came back and began to quickly spread to my other organs."

"I'm sorry…you know, the same thing actually happened to my grandpa."

"Really now? Were you close to your grandpa?"

"Extremely! He was like a father to me! When he died, I couldn't stand to be in the house anymore so I packed my stuff and headed for the past. That's how I ended up meeting Sweeney."

"I see. So, were you happy in the past?"

"Yeah, I was. My grandpa was right when I said I would be happy there. I ended up falling in love, and, despite my relationship with Mrs. Lovett being destroyed and the heinous things that occurred, I was just as happy as I had been before my grandpa got sick."

"No regrets about leaving?"

"The present? None at all! I felt at home in the past; like I belonged there. The feeling grew more when I fell for Sweeney."

"Are you planning to return to the past once you get him out of here?"

I paused when he asked me that question. Did I really want to go back to the past? My relationship with my mother had greatly improved over the year, and I didn't know if I could leave both her and Maddie behind. Sure, I could come back whenever I wanted, but I didn't want to keep growing older as they remained relatively the same age. Besides, would I really want to be putting my body under so much stress by switching back and forth between times? Could I teach Sweeney to live in the present? "I honestly don't know," I finally replied.

Our conversation flowed from topic to topic from there. David mainly kept the subjects pertaining to my life, and, whenever I somewhat questioned his past, he would quickly switch the subject. At first, I didn't like having all the focus on me, but later I figured that David probably would have liked not to be reminded of his living life since it would make him long for it again. After many twists, turns, going through doorways, and walking down long hallways; we stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall. "Well, this is where I'm going to have to leave you," he said, turning to me.

"What? But I thought you were going to take me to Sweeney and then help us get out of here?" I questioned, completely flabbergasted.

"I'm afraid I have been lying to you, Kelsie. I wasn't sent here by God to guide you through this place; someone else was. That someone is waiting for you down this hall."

"But then, who are you and why are you helping me?"

"I snuck here because I wanted to help you! The original plan was to make you find your way this far by yourself because God isn't particularly thrilled that you are seeking to bring a murderer back from the underworld to the world of the living. If you could make it this far, He would see your love for that man is true and would grant his life back to him when you got out. I wanted you to be happy again so I decided that I would do anything I could to help. So, when the opportunity to do so came about, I took it. I know I might be punished for coming to you, but I don't care. Besides, I really wanted to see you again. I just had to see your smiling face in person one more time. I've missed you so much!"

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, David's features began to change. His face began to wrinkle, his dark hair turned silver, fingers became knurled, his back hunched slightly, and his almost flat stomach turned round. A hand came to my mouth as I stared in complete shock at the man before me. It was a man who I had been close to and had not seen for a long time. I felt two tears leak from my eyes and slide down my cheeks. "G-grandpa?" I whispered.

"Yes, it's me," his aged voice replied, a small smile on his face.

I choked back a sob as I embraced him. He wrapped his arms around my shaking shoulders and held me close. We stood there together for long time before he finally pulled away. I gasped when I saw that his body was beginning to fade away. "I'm being called back," he explained, "He must have been letting me spend at least a little time with you…"

"Please, don't go," I pleaded.

"You know I have to. I can't stop Him from making me return."

"Yes, you can!"

"Kelsie, you know I can't. Stop being irrational."

"How can I not be? I don't want you to leave me again!"

A translucent hand touched my cheek. "Please, don't cry Kelsie," he said, using his thumb to brush away my tears, "This is hard enough as it is! I don't want to leave you either, but I have to. I can't go back with you. Your spell was meant to save the one you love, not your grandpa."

We stood there for a minute, Grandpa's body continuing to grow fainter with each passing second. "I love you, Gramps," I said, accepting the fact that I couldn't make him stay.

"I love you too, Kels. I'm so glad I was able to see you again. Don't worry, we'll see each other again someday, and I will watch over you until that day comes."

With his last words, his body completely disappeared from sight. I stood there for a moment in shock before a new onslaught of tears began to spill from my eyes. I leaned against the wall for support as I cried. I didn't notice the door open and the person approaching me. "I'm terribly sorry, Kelsie, but I'm afraid we must get a move on; one of the demon guards is approaching."

Blinded by tears, I fought furiously against the hand that had grabbed me and began pulling me along. I felt the person grab me by the shoulders a few minutes later and shake me slightly. "I know you must be in great emotional pain at the moment, Kelsie, but please, attempt to control yourself! If you still want to save Sweeney Todd, then you need to focus and not get yourself caught!"

After a few more moments of uncontrollable crying, I blinked away the tears causing my vision to badly blur. The dark-haired man standing before me looked extremely familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen his face before. He took a handkerchief from the pocket of his trousers and handed to me. "There now, that's better. I suppose I should introduce myself to you now that you'll listen to me. My name is Benjamin Barker, and I am your real guide."

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**A/N: Hey, all! Sorry this update is so late! Lots of stuff has been happening within my family and it's been a very hetic month. I also had the cyst on my wrist drained so typing is kinda painful. I've also gone through a bout of writer's block and got stuck while trying to write this chapter. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, but I have band camp for the next week and a half plus school is beginning soon. I apologize in advance if there is a delay, but it can't really be helped!**


	5. Hell Part 2

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in forever. Band camp wore me out (but I have a couple of solos this year which is awesome), then school started, I've had practice four days a week after Band Camp, I've been having guy troubles, and I've been having some family issues. I hope you can forgive me! I promise I'll try to get another update out sometime this week, but it just depends on how much stuff I have going on! Just remember that I love you all for sticking with me, and I will never ever abandon this story even though my updates are kind of slow right now.**

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Last Time on My Beautiful Nightmare:

_Blinded by tears, I fought furiously against the hand that had grabbed me and began pulling me along. I felt the person grab me by the shoulders a few minutes later and shake me slightly. "I know you must be in great emotional pain at the moment, Kelsie, but please, attempt to control yourself! If you still want to save Sweeney Todd, then you need to focus and not get yourself caught!"_

_After a few more moments of uncontrollable crying, I blinked away the tears causing my vision to badly blur. The dark-haired man standing before me looked extremely familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen his face before. He took a handkerchief from the pocket of his trousers and handed to me. "There now, that's better. I suppose I should introduce myself to you now that you'll listen to me. My name is Benjamin Barker, and I am your real guide."_

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Chapter 4: Hell Part 2

I stood in stunned silence. Had heard this guy right? Did he just tell me that his name was Benjamin Barker? The more I took in his features, the more the similarities I could point out between him and Sweeney. Their face structures were identical, the same dark hair, same height, and the same lean build. The main difference I could easily point out was their eyes. Benjamin's eyes, although dark, held a brightness I had never seen in Sweeney's. "H-how?" I stammered out, "You're the same person."

"Not exactly. We were essentially two different people inhabiting the same body. I think he must have always been a part of me, but he never took over until we were shipped to Australia and I couldn't handle it there. When we died, we were separated," Benjamin explained.

I blinked owlishly as I absorbed the information presented to me. I eventually just shrugged and accepted it. If I could travel through time and to Hell, then why couldn't two souls inhabit one body and then split when said body dies? More cautiously than he did last time, Benjamin grabbed my hand and began leading me down the winding halls. "I apologize, Miss Kelsie, for my earlier actions. Grabbing you so harshly and shaking you while you were so emotionally distressed may not have been the best idea, but I could not think of any other way to get through to you," he said sincerely, his voice laced with a bit of awkwardness.

"It's okay. I'm fine. It calmed me down didn't it?"

"I suppose so."

We fell into a comfortable conversation after that. He told about how he sometimes would be able through Sweeney's eyes and could know what he was thinking due to their linked minds. He made me blush uncontrollably when he told me that Sweeney had thought about me a lot after we had admitted our feelings for each other. "I always knew that you would be a good influence on him. He needed someone to save him from falling victim to the thrill of killing just to kill; that person was you. You kept him focused on his real goal: avenging our wife and saving Johanna. You probably didn't know this, but when he started his relationship with you, his drive to kill weakened. You gave him something to live for besides slitting throats," he said as we wandered on.

That made me pause. I had no idea that I had had such a profound effect on Sweeney. I couldn't believe that I could make a man hell-bent on revenge against the entire world want to stop killing. The tug on my hand snapped me back into reality and I began to move again. On and on we walked through the dark caverns and hallways. At times, we had to quickly hide ourselves in the shadows due to an approaching demon. Finally, we were standing outside of one of the cell doors. "Well, this is where I leave you," Benjamin said, turning to face me.

"You're not coming in?" I asked.

"I'm afraid not. My job was only to deliver you here. Besides, there is a chance that if I come into contact with him we will be rejoined, and I do not wish for that to happen."

"I understand. Well, it was great meeting you, and thank you so much for bringing me here. I would have probably been captured by now if it weren't for you."

"You are quite welcome. It was a pleasure to meet you face to face, Miss Kelsie. I only wish we could have met under more normal circumstances."

Benjamin took my hand and placed a kiss against it.

"There you are Benjamin!" a new voice chimed in.

Our heads turned to the side to see a woman standing there with beautiful yellow hair the color of wheat, bright blue eyes, and dressed in a pink dress. I knew instantly who the beautiful woman was despite the fact that I had only seen her when she was half-crazed and covered from head to foot in filth and grime. It was Lucy Barker restored to her former glory. "Lucy, what are you doing here?" Benjamin asked, walking the few paces over to her, "You weren't supposed to come with me."

"I just wanted to make sure that you both arrived safely," she replied with a slight huff, wrapping her arms around him.

Benjamin returned the embrace before motioning towards me. "Love, this is Kelsie Douglas."

"Yes, I recognize her. I used to see her serve the people at the pie shop," Lucy said, approaching me, "Though it's nice to now be properly introduced."

"Yes, it is," I concurred.

I was surprised when she gathered me up into a strong hug. I awkwardly returned the favor before she pulled away to get a good look at me. Her pale hand stroked my hair before grasping my chin lightly. My shock grew when she turned my head and placed a kiss against my cheek. "You will make him so happy," she whispered before pulling away to flash me a dazzling smile.

I couldn't help but return the infectious grin as she stepped away and rejoined Benjamin. The minute their hands entwined, they both began to fade away. "Wait! How am I supposed to get back?" I asked.

"You need to go back to where we met, there will be a portal waiting to take you back to the world of the living," Benjamin explained.

"Best of luck! We'll see each other again someday, okay?" Lucy said, the smile still on her face.

Benjamin bowed and Lucy curtsied to me. Remembering my manners from the past, I also curtsied. They both smiled wide before finally disappearing. Completely alone, I turned to stare at the cell door. Hand quaking with nervousness and anticipation, I unlatched the lock and opened the door.

I squinted my eyes against the bright sun that I was greeted with. After my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked at my surroundings. I was standing in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by high concrete walls and barbed wire. Men of all shapes, colors, and sizes were all scattered about laboring about breaking rocks, pushing wheelbarrows, and other strenuous things. Almost all of them were shirtless and wore black and white striped pants with shackles on their feet. Men, who looked like prison guards, stood around equipped with a gun, a whip, or a club. The heat was intense, but not as intense as some of the parts of Hell I had been in. "BARKER!" one of them shouted, causing me to jump a good foot into the air, "GET YOUR LAZY ASS BACK TO WORK!"

I whipped my head around, expecting to see Benjamin, but gasped when I saw a familiar person with a white streak through their dark hair collapsed on the scorching sand. The guard who had yelled at him called out to him again. When Sweeney didn't respond, the man stalked over and raised his whip. "NO!" I screamed.

I raced as fast as my legs could carry me and threw myself over Sweeney's body, careful not to land on my injured shoulder. Knowing that my magic couldn't save me from the pain, I gritted my teeth together and screwed my eyes shut. Even though I had anticipated it, I couldn't stop the screech I let out when the whip slashed mercilessly across my back. Even with my shirt and cloak protecting me from the full blow, tears still welled up in my eyes.

Sweeney opened his eyes and looked up at me with a bleary gaze. He must have thought that I was an illusion or something because he just closed his eyes and turned his head away from the guard standing above us. "Who the hell are you? Stop protecting him and get out of the way, you little bitch!" the guard snarled, raising the whip once more.

I raised my arms to protect my face and howled when the whip snapped down on the exposed skin of my forearm. Knowing that it was only an illusion, I boldly grabbed the whip, yanked it from the guard's grasp, and flung it away from us. I turned to say something to snap Sweeney out of it but I was cut off by a slap to the face. The force of the slap caused my head and body to lurch to the ground. I screamed when I landed harshly on my injured shoulder. The evil guard was on me instantaneously. "Sweeney wake up! It's me! I'm really here!" I yelled, fear filling me when the guard's fist reared back.

I clenched my eyes shut so I wouldn't have to look at the fist hurtling towards me. When the impact never came, I opened my eyes. I was lying in the dim cell. I looked to my right and saw Sweeney sitting on his knees. He was dressed in a filthy white shirt and pants, his hair was matted in places, and there was dirt smudged on his face. I got to my feet and walked over to him.

I had often dreamed of seeing him again, but when it actually became a reality, I had no clue what to make of it. I dropped to my knees before him and looked up at him. Since I was closer to him, I could make out the slash running across his neck. The wound was still open, but no blood ran out of it. I wondered who had done it to him; after all, he had been the only one alive when I had 'died'. Much like Mrs. Lovett had done, Sweeney lifted his hand and let it rest on my cheek. However, unlike I had done with Lovett, I leaned into his touch, heating his freezing palm. "Kelsie?" the gruff voice I had been longing to hear for so long finally spoke.

Unable to control myself, I did the only thing I could think of to express my joy: I leaned up and captured his lips with my own.

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**A/N: Yeah, I know it was kind of short. I'm sorry! Please don't be too angry with me! Don't forget to review! I always love hearing how much you all enjoy my work. :)**


	6. Dance With the Devil

**Hey guys! I'm really sorry for the extended hiatus. Senior year's been a lot more stressful than I thought it was going to be. I hope you all can forgive me! I've decided that I didn't like the original plan I had for this story so I rewrote the last chapter so it fits my new story line. Hope you enjoy it! :)**

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_~*~ I had often dreamed of seeing him again, but when it actually became a reality, I had no clue what to make of it. I dropped to my knees before him and looked up at him. Since I was closer to him, I could make out the slash running across his neck. The wound was still open, but no blood ran out of it. I wondered who had done it to him; after all, he had been the only one alive when I had 'died'. Much like Mrs. Lovett had done, Sweeney lifted his hand and let it rest on my cheek. However, unlike I had done with Lovett, I leaned into his touch, heating his freezing palm. "Kelsie?" the gruff voice I had been longing to hear for so long finally spoke._

_Unable to control myself, I did the only thing I could think of to express my joy: I leaned up and captured his lips with my own. ~*~_

Chapter 4: Dance With the Devil

Something was wrong. He wasn't kissing me back. Wasn't he happy to see me after such a long time? I pulled back and opened my eyes to see what the problem was. I couldn't detect any emotion in his eyes; not even the malice that I was always able to see lurking in their inky depths. "Why are you here?" he asked me, "You shouldn't have been damned to suffer in this place."

"I wasn't sent here. I'm not even dead."

"Impossible. I watched you take your last breath."

"Magic," I stated simply, shrugging my good shoulder.

There was a pause as he scrutinized me. I squirmed uncomfortably under his emotionless gaze. "If you're not dead," he finally spoke, "then why are you here?"

"I thought that that would be obvious," I replied, slightly shocked, "I came here for you, silly!"

I smiled and reached for his hand. Before I could entwine my fingers with his, he abruptly jerked away from my touch. "You stupid girl!" he snapped.

I finally saw some emotion come to his eyes; however I was not pleased with what I saw. Instead of the happiness I was hoping to find there when he saw me, I only saw a burning anger. My heart clenched painfully. "I-I just wanted you back…" I whispered.

"You shouldn't have come here!" he growled, standing up and glaring down at me.

"I came to get you because I love you! I couldn't just leave you here!" I exploded, appalled by his behavior toward me.

"You always were such a _**foolish **_girl," he sneered, chuckling heartlessly.

It felt as if his words had slapped me across my face. My eyes began to fill with tears. With a look of disgust he turned away from me. "Do you still love me?" I asked, voice pathetically cracking.

His stony silence answered my question. I could feel my heart breaking and my cheeks become wet. The minutes passed with only the sounds of my sniffling and the screams of the tortured souls in the surrounding cells. This was not the reunion I had been hoping for. In my head I had dreamed that he would be overjoyed that I was alive and came to save him. He would have taken me in his arms and told me he loved me like that night on the bake house floor. Instead, he was being as cold as he was before he revealed his feelings for me, he had called me foolish and stupid, and my heart had been shattered. I was sure God was up in Heaven wondering why I would go chasing after someone who didn't love me like I did him. 'Maybe,' I thought, 'I should just give up on reveries once and for all. All they do is cause me pain…'

My sadness soon began to turn into an immense rage. Angrily, I wiped the tears and snot from my face before standing up. I decided then and there that I would never show weakness like that in front of him again. I stalked towards the door and paused before opening it. "You'd best follow me out this door. It may be your only chance to live again, and I suggest you take it," I said, bitterness and anger laced into every word.

I mentally berated myself for offering him a way out. After all, why should I care about what happens to someone who no longer cared for me? Of course, my fragmented heart still held a deep affection for him and wouldn't allow me to leave him to suffer. I slammed the door open with a loud 'BANG' and marched out into the hall. I walked on, pretending not to care if he was following me or not. I peeked over my shoulder, and, sure enough, he was following a few steps behind me. I quickly set my gaze dead ahead of me and refused to look back anymore.

We did not speak for the longest time. Surprisingly, he was the one to break the withstanding silence. "You cut your hair," he stated aloofly.

"Yes, I figured it was time for a change," I replied, my words like ice chips as I ran a hand through my curly mane that now brushed my shoulders.

"It looks horrible."

"I didn't ask for your opinion!" I snapped, turning to glare at him.

We stood stock-still, glaring at each other. The tension in the air around us was thick, and it was not a good tension. I finally sighed and turned back around. No conversations followed after that little spat. Thankfully, my good memory served its purpose and we were back where I had met Benjamin in no time. "He said that there would be a portal here somewhere," I muttered to myself, scanning the area.

No sooner had the words left my mouth, a pale blue glow lit up the floor ten feet in front of us. "Perfect timing! Let's go!"

I quickened my pace to a jog and approached the portal. The path to my destination was cut short by an invisible force violently shoving me back and off my feet and causing the air to whoosh out my lungs. I tried to ignore the tingling sensation going up my spine as Sweeney's arms circled around me to keep me from hitting the ground. I quickly shoved myself away from him and put a bit of distance between us. A dark chuckling filled the air, and I felt eyes widen with fear. I gasped in horror as the Grim Reaper phased through the floor in front of us, effectively cutting us off from the portal. "Did you really think it would be that simple, Witch," the voice behind the hood hissed.

A bony hand appeared out of the long sleeves of the Reaper's cloak, and I suddenly found myself hoisted off my feet. I yelped in pain as my back crashed against stone, and Sweeney grunted as he was flung into the opposite wall. "My Master wishes to see you," he said, voice dripping with venom, "Come!"

Like marionettes on strings, Sweeney and I were forced to walk. The Reaper, acting as our puppeteer, guided us deeper into the bowels of Hell. There further below we traveled, the more agonizing the screams and pleas for mercy became. Our destination turned out to be a large throne room.

The walls were a grotesque mixture of stone and bones and the floor was made of the darkest onyx I had ever seen. Along the walls, torches were held in real hands. A blood red carpet lead from the door all the way up to a throne made of human skulls. Sitting on the throne was someone who struck fear into my core. Although the man was incredibly beautiful with his flawless face, golden hair, and chiseled, half-naked body, the ripped black wings protruding from his back and his red eyes screamed danger. I wasn't stupid; I knew exactly whom we had been brought to. As much as I tried to resist against the invisible strings pulling me along, I was dragged closer and closer to the supreme evil being. The hellhounds lounging around the room snapped viciously at our heels as we passed. When we were feet away from the fallen angel, the Reaper forced us into a kneeling position. "The Witch and the one she intends to save, Master," the Reaper announced, bending into a low bow.

"Thank you, Reaper. Now return to your duties."

His voice was smooth and angelic but an underlying evil could be detected in it. Once the three of us were alone, he spoke again. "Well, well, well, it's certainly been a long time since I've had a witch visit me. The last one hadn't been nearly as young as you are!"

He rose from his chair and approached our frozen forms. A finger, with a nail sharpened like a talon, curled beneath my chin and forced me to look up into the eyes of the Devil himself. A smirk twisted his lips as he lightly stroked my cheek with his clawed hand; daring me to move. My body quaked as he leaned in so his mouth was directly next to my ear. "You are stupid for coming here, Kelsie Douglas," he hissed quietly in my ear, "I have a hard enough time releasing the prisons who have served their time, let alone those who have not. And now, you will join them here; you must pay for your foolishly heroic attempt."

"N-no," I whispered in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'No'? I'm afraid you have no choice! You sealed your fate the moment you uttered your silly, little spell."

"I didn't want this!" I sobbed, "All I wanted was to bring him back!"

"Now, now…don't be so upset!" Satan cooed, placing a 'comforting' hand on my shoulder, "Tell you what, how about we make a deal?"

"A deal?"

"Yes, a deal…you see, I cannot compete against true love. So, you have to prove to me that you and this murderer belong together. However, you must pass through a trial."

"Wh-what sort of trial?"

"I will send you back in time to where you two met, but you will not remember each other or what is to come. If you can fall in love all over again, that will prove that your love is true, and I'll let your souls go free."

"I'll do it," I agreed after a moment of contemplation.

"Ah, I wouldn't agree so quickly! There's a catch to this bargain. I need a couple things from you to seal this deal properly."

"Like what?"

"Oh, nothing important really. It's just that I can't have you running around with that magic coursing through your veins; it'll counteract with my own magic. Also, as I would do with a normal human, I will also need another payment…"

"And that is?" I pressed.

"Your voice. If something was to go wrong, and you somehow remembered everything, you could ruin the whole trial by spilling everything to your lover over there. So, are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"If I didn't agree to this, then I'll never be able to go home… What do I have to lose?"

"You're very strong-willed. Well, then, if this your final decision, I'll need you to sign right here."

A contract suddenly appeared in his hands. He handed it to me as well as a knife. "What's this for?" I asked, eyeing the blade.

"I only accept blood signatures."

Squeezing my eyes shut, I sliced open my index finger. I pressed the bleeding digit to the paper and scrawled out my signature. After signing, the scroll rolled itself up and went back to Satan's hand. "Hmm, I'm feeling particularly generous today, so I will allow you two minutes to say your farewells."

With a dark chuckle, Satan walked back to sit on his throne. Eyes shining with mirth, he watched the two of us like some sort of amusing television show. "Sweeney…" I started, ignoring the smirking devil.

"You should have gotten out of here sooner," he muttered, "You shouldn't have come here at all. Now, you'll be trapped here too."

"That's not true! If our love is true, then we'll be out of here in no time…but I forgot, you don't care anymore."

"Kelsie," he sighed, eyes turning remorseful, "I never stopped caring for you… I was just so angry that you risked your soul just to save me. I'm meant to be damned to this place, you shouldn't have to suffer here."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes; the last time he had shown so much emotion towards me was when I had been dying in his arms. He really did care for me. He had only been trying to protect me by shunning me away. "I really am a foolish girl," I sniffled.

Momentarily released from the invisible bonds, Sweeney draped his arm across my shoulders and pulled me to him. I clung to him and buried my head into his chest. His cold lips brushed the top of my head seconds before I was ripped away from him. I struggled against the iron-grip restraining me but stilled when talons pricked my throat. "As entertaining as this is, your two minutes are up."

I was spun around so I was, once again, staring into those evil, red eyes. With a menacing smirk, he crushed his lips against my own. Within moments, I felt my powers draining from my body. I tried to pull away, but, with a feral growl, Satan dug a clawed hand into my scalp and wrenched me closer. After what felt like an eternity, he released me and I collapsed to the floor, unable to hold myself up. Satan smirked down at me as he cleaned the away my blood on his talons with his tongue. Once he had finished cleaning up the mess, he thrust his hand forward and stopped inches before my throat. I felt something suddenly blocking my throat and I began to violently cough. With a heave, a blue orb ejected from my mouth. Satan plucked it up and held it in the palm of his hand. I tried to ask him what he had done to me, but I was astonished when no sound came out of my mouth. Sweeney ran over to me and took a defensive stance in front of me. Satan could only laugh. "Don't even bother, barber! She has made her choice! Now you both will be sent back!"

A portal opened up beneath us. "You have until the judge dies. Farewell, Kelsie Douglas," were Satan's last words.

The last thing I saw was the Devil's smirking face before the bright light of the portal engulfed me, and I knew no more.


	7. New Beginnings

**AN: Please don't kill me! I'm sooooo sorry I haven't updated in forever. Senior year of high school and getting college stuff sorted out was really stressful and time consuming. I apologize for the extended hiatus but there was literally no time for me to write. On a happier note, I've finally graduated high school and I'm on summer break, which means I'm going to get back on track with my writing. Once again, I apologize for neglecting you all for so long, and I hope you guys can forgive me. If you haven't already, please re-read the last chapter. I've decided to go on a different route for the story than I had orginally planned, so in order to get on that new path, I had to change the previous chapter. So, if you haven't read this story since my last update and you don't want to be confused, please go back one chapter. Oh, while we're on the subject, I noticed a mistake with the last chapter. I accidentally labeled it as chapter 4, but it's really supposed to be chapter 5. This is chapter here is chapter 6! Sorry if it confused you or anything!**

_~*~__A portal opened up beneath us. "You have until the judge dies. Farewell, Kelsie Douglas," were Satan's last words._

_The last thing I saw was the Devil's smirking face before the bright light of the portal engulfed me, and I knew no more.~*~_

Chapter 6: New Beginnings

"Kelsie, it's time to wake up, love."

The voice, accompanied by cool fingers gently stroking my cheek, caused my eyes to lazily open. Through bleary, half-lidded eyes, I looked up at my mother, Nellie Lovett. She wasn't really my mother, but when I was about ten, she found me lying unconscious and bleeding in an alleyway near her meat pie shop. Taking pity on me, she brought me back to her shop and nursed my beaten body back to health. However, there was one thing she could not fix and that was my voice. After having a doctor come and inspect me, it was concluded that the extensive damage my voice box sustained had rendered me permanently mute. It was very disheartening at first to know I would never be able to have any sort of conversation. It was even more frustrating since I had no one to blame for I had beaten so badly that I couldn't remember a thing about myself; I couldn't even remember my own name! Nellie had actually been the one who decided on what my name should be and what age I looked like.

For nine years I lived in the pie shop. So we could communicate, Nellie began buying me pads of paper and pencils so I could write down what I would like to speak. Nellie became my parental figure, and it wasn't even a year after she found me that I began referring to her as 'Mother'. One day, not long after I first called her 'Mother', she came home carrying adoption papers with my name on it. When I saw those papers, I instantly threw out any desire to regain my memories and began life anew as Kelsie Lovett.

'Good morning, Mother.' I mouthed, smiling sleepily. Since Mother could easily read my lips for common phrases such as 'Good morning' and 'Good night', I had no need to write it down. "Good morning to you too," Mother replied, "Get dressed and come downstairs before your porridge gets cold."

Nodding, I rose from my bed and went to my armoire to pick out something to wear for the day. I picked out a black shirt that exposed my shoulders with a bunched, swooping neckline along with a fairly simple dress to go over it. The dress was purple with thing straps and bodice ending just under my breasts. Thankfully, the bodice laced up the front so I wouldn't have to awkwardly reach around to tie it up. I put on my black boots and made my way downstairs to the front of the shop.

Porridge was not my favorite thing in the world. In truth, I would take a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and a glass of fresh milk over porridge any day. However, income was currently low at Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium and the majority of our funds went to paying the bills and such. Once Mother and I were finished with our simple breakfast, I collected our bowls and went to wash them while Mother got started on some new pies. As much as I loved my mother, I hated her meat pies. When I first came to after she had brought me to the shop, she had offered me one to calm my growling stomach. The moment I bit into that crust and the gravy hit my taste buds, I promptly threw up all over my bed sheets. Mother tried to blame it on that I was still trying to recover from the trauma I went through, but we both knew the truth.

After washing the dishes and putting them away, I grabbed a rag and began to wipe down the tables. As dull as it sounds, this was the routine we went through nearly every day. We would share breakfast, the I would clean up around the shop and house while Mother baked, we would have lunch, we would wait around hoping for a costumer or two, we would eat supper, we'd close the shop, sit in the parlor for a while, and then go to bed. I was getting ready to grab a broom to begin sweeping the floor when the bell hanging above the front door chimed. I was so unused to hearing the merry tinkle of the bell that I nearly jumped out of my skin. Mother seemed to have a similar reaction as me because the next thing I heard was her gasping:

"_A costumer!_"


	8. Familiar Presence

_~*~I was so unused to hearing the merry tinkle of the bell that I nearly jumped out of my skin. Mother seemed to have a similar reaction as me because the next thing I heard was her gasping:_

_"A costumer!"~*~_

Chapter 7: Familiar Presence

I looked up to see a man standing in the door of the shop with a wary look in his dark eyes. My attention was immediately drawn from those seemingly soulless, black pits and onto his hair. It was a messy mane almost as dark as his eyes with a shocking bolt of white running through it. He seemed alarmed by Mother's delight and was turning to go when Mother, panicked at the thought of losing the first costumer in weeks, called out to him.

"Wait! What's yer rush? What's yer hurry?" She quickly stabbed her knife into the cutting board and made her way around the counter while wiping flour onto her dress. "You gave me such a fright. I thought you was a ghost. 'Alf a minute, can'tcher sit? Sit ye down! Sit!"

Along with her order, she literally forced him to sit down on the cushion of a booth. This made me jiggle slightly with silent laughter; Mother was clearly desperate to sell that man a pie!

"All I meant is that I

**Haven't seen a costumer for weeks.**

**Did you come here for a pie, sir?"**

By then, Mother had made her way back over to the counter and began searching for a pie to give the man.

"**Do forgive me if me head's a little vague—**

**What was that?"**

She picked up an insect, threw it on the ground, and proceeding to end it's life with a well-placed stomp.

"But you'd think we'd have the plague

**From the way that people keep avoiding—**

**No you don't!"**

Another bug had its life ended with a smack of the hand.

"Heaven knows I try, sir!

**But there's no one comes in even to inhale!"**

She picked up one of the stale pies, plopped it on a plate, and blew of the dust that had settled on the crust.

"Right you are, sir. Would you like a drop of ale?"

When he nodded, I went to go pour him a tankard. Lord knows he would need it if he actually ate the pie. As I filled the tankard, Mother continued on:

"**Mind you, I can hardly blame them.**

**These are probably the worst pies in London.**

**I know why nobody cares to take them—**

**I should know,**

**I make them.**

**But good? No!**

**The worst pies in London—**

**Even that's polite.**

**The worst pies in London—**

**If you doubt it, take a bite."**

If I had had properly functioning vocal cords, I would have screamed in protest as the man brought the molding pie to his lips. He bit into the crust and froze. Mother and I both gave him a look of pity. He turned his head and spat out the revolting morsel onto the floor. 'Well, we all know who will be cleaning _that _up!' I thought, coming forward to bring the man his ale.

"Is that just disgusting?

**You have to concede it.**

**It's nothing but crusting—**

**Here, drink that, you'll need it—**

**The worst pies in London."**

Suddenly Mother became slightly angry and took out her frustrations on a lump of dough.

"And no wonder with the price of meat!

**What it is—**

**When you get it.**

**Never thought I'd live to see the day.**

**Men'd think it was a treat**

**Finding poor animals.**

**Wot are dying in the street.**

**Mrs. Mooney has a pie shop,**

**Does a business, but I noticed something weird—**

**Lately all her neighbors' cats have disappeared.**

**Have to hand it to her—**

**Wot I calls enterprise,**

**Popping pussies into pies."**

Mother wasn't lying about Mrs. Mooney. One night, we had both witnessed her coming from the alley between her one of her neighbor's buildings carrying a wiggling sack into her shop.

"Wouldn't do in my shop!

**Just the thought of it's enough to make you sick.**

**And I'm telling you them pussy cats is quick."**

I shot a glare at her as she leaned against the counter. She knew I hated the fact that she had tried Mrs. Mooney's method; I happened to like cats! I looked down at the stranger's pie and almost retched at the sight of a cockroach scurrying out of it.

"No denying times is hard, sir—Even harder than

**The worst pies in London.**

**Only lard and nothing more—**

**Is that just revolting?**

**All greasy and gritty,**

**It looks like it's molting,**

**And tastes like—**

**Well pity**

**A woman and girl alone**

**With limited wind**

**And the worst pies in London.**

**Ah, sir, times is hard.**

**Times is hard."**

To accentuate her point, she lifted her rolling pin and smashed another cockroach. The poor man was trying to wash out the taste of Mother's pie by gargling his ale. "Trust me, dearie, it's going to take more than ale to wash that taste out," Mother stated, giving him a sympathetic look, "Come with me and we'll get you a nice tumbler of gin. Come along, Kelsie."

Dutifully, I followed them into the parlor. I took a seat on my usual chair, the man stood in the doorway, and Mother went to fetch him some gin. "Isn't this homey now?" she asked happily as she prepared the drink, "Me cheery wallpaper was a real bargain too, it being only partly singed when the chapel burnt down…"

My eyes widened at the revelation. She hadn't told me the wallpaper had come from a burnt down chapel. Of course, that did explain the faint scorch marks that could be seen on closer inspection… Mother gave the man his gin, which he immediately gulped down to finally rid himself of the foul taste that lingered in his mouth. Mother gently took him by the arm and led him over to the sofa. "There's a good boy, now you sit down and warm your bones, you look chilled through."

He obeyed Mother's order and took a seat while she sat down next to him. Finally, the man spoke for the first time since entering our shop and home. "Isn't that a room over the shop? If times are so hard, why don't you rent it out?"

As Mother gazed up at the ceiling in thought, I gave the man a curious look. 'Why does his voice sound so familiar?' I wondered.

"Up there? Oh, no one will go near it…" Mother stated, turning back to our guest, "People think it's haunted."

"Haunted?" the man asked, looking slightly curious.

"And who's to say they're wrong? You see, years ago, something happened up there. Something not very nice…"

I knew then that it was time to prepare to hear the tragic tale of Benjamin Barker, the barber, and his wife, Lucy. Mother had once told me the story not long after I started living with her and it had caused my heart to ache in sympathy for the Barker's.

"**There was a barber and his wife,**

**And he was beautiful,**

**A proper artist with a knife,**

**But they transported him for life.**

**And he was beautiful..."**

Mother was gazing intensely at the man next to her. It was almost like she knew something about him. "Barker, his name was—Benjamin Barker," she told him, monitoring his reaction closely.

"What was his crime?" he inquired.

"Foolishness," Mother replied, a sharp edge in her tone.

"**He had this wife, you see,**

**Pretty little thing,**

**Silly little nit**

**Had her chance for the moon on a string-**

**Poor thing. Poor thing.**

**There was this Judge, you see,**

**Wanted her like mad,**

**Every day he'd send her a flower,**

**But did she come down from her tower?**

**Sat up there and sobbed by the hour,**

**Poor fool.**

**Ah, but there was worse yet to come,**

**Poor thing."**

Although Mother intended to sound sorry for Mr. Barker's wife, I could help but notice the slight bitterness her voice held as she spoke of her. I had always wondered if there had been some bad blood between the two of them but never had the courage to ask in fear of angering her.

"**The Beadle calls on her, all polite,**

**Poor thing, poor thing.**

**The Judge, he tells her, is all contrite,**

**He blames himself for her dreadful plight**

**She must come straight to his house tonight!**

**Poor thing, poor thing****.**

**Of course, when she goes there,**

**Poor thing, poor thing,**

**They're having this ball all in masks.**

**There's no one she knows there,**

**Poor dear, poor thing,**

**She wanders tormented, and drinks,**

**Poor thing.**

**The Judge has repented, she thinks,**

**Poor thing.**

"**Oh, where is Judge Turpin?" she asks.**

**He was there, all right-**

**Only not so contrite!**

**She wasn't no match for such craft, you see,**

**And everyone thought it so droll.**

**They figured she had to be daft, you see,**

**So all of 'em stood there and laughed, you see,**

**Poor soul!**

Poor thing!"

"NOOOOOO!"

The man's animalistic howl and sudden jump from the couch caused what should have been a shriek to escape me. Instead, all that issued from my mouth was a strange, strangled noise that triggered a coughing fit. Mother came to my side to gently pat me on the back as my hand flew to cover my mouth to muffle my hacking. "Would no one have mercy on her?" the man asked, choosing to ignore me.

Although Mother was rubbing my back comfortingly, all her attention was focused on the man before us. "So it is you—Benjamin Barker!" she gasped.

My fit ended and I was slightly panting as I caught my breath. As I sucked in sweet oxygen, I stared in shock at the man Mother revealed to be Benjamin Barker. Mother had raved how sweet and gentle Benjamin Barker had been, but I could feel nothing except a dark aura emitting from the man staring into the fire. Time changes people; especially those who have been wronged as much as he had. "Where's Lucy?" he asked in a broken whisper, "Where's my wife?"

"She poisoned herself," Mother admitted after a moment of hesitation, "Arsenic…from the apothecary around the corner. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen to me…and he's got your daughter."

"He?" Mr. Barker whispered in disbelief, "Judge Turpin?"

"Adopted her like his own."

There was a pause as Mr. Barker absorbed all this shocking information. "Fifteen years sweating in a living hell on a false charge," he began, shedding his leather jacket and throwing it on the floor, "Fifteen years dreaming that I might come home to a loving wife and child."

"Well, I can't say the years have been particularly kind to you, Mr. Barker," Mother said, rising from her perch on the armrest next to me.

"No!" Mr. Barker growled, whipping around to face us, "Not Barker. That man is dead. It's Todd now. Sweeney Todd…and he will have his revenge."

The air became thick as a heavy tension descended upon us all. A shudder rippled through me despite the warm fire crackling in the grate a few feet away from me. Mother decided to make the intense uneasiness dissipate by getting the idea to show Mr. Todd up to his former shop and home. "Come on, Kelsie," Mother said, turning her focus onto me for a moment, "There's no reason for you to watch the shop."

I followed the two upstairs into a place that hadn't been touched in over a decade. Sheets covered the furniture in weak attempt to preserve. Flowers of various types sat shriveled in an assortment of vases. The once brightly colored wallpaper had drastically dulled and was beginning to peel from the walls. To top it off, a thick layer of dust covered every exposed surface in the room. What once could have been happy home was now only dark, empty shell of what it once was. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness crashed over me. I stumbled and grabbed a hold of the vanity that was pushed up against the wall. I clenched my eyes shut and took deep breaths. Suddenly, an image surfaced in my mind.

_She spun, jumped, and leapt around the room making up a routine as she went along. She became so absorbed in dancing she didn't notice the barber turn to watch her. She paused and gasped when she saw that the barber was watching her. 'Well, if this isn't embarrassing then I don't know what is,' she thought, bowing her head while a familiar blush flared up on her cheeks._

I grabbed my head and forced my eyes open. 'What was that?' I thought, gazing at my pale face in the vanity mirror.

"Nothing to be afraid of, love."

I turned around and saw Mother trying to coax Mr. Todd into the barber's shop. He slowly made his way in and began to inspect his old home. As Mother began searching for something, Mr. Todd walked over to the baby crib. He lifted the sheet and gazed into it with a look of longing. He carefully replaced the sheet and walked over to the large window that Mother had kneeled down in front of. No longer plagued by dizziness, I also made my way over. She pried open a loose floorboard and pulled out a box wrapped in velvet. "When they came for the girl, I hid 'em," she explained, carefully removing the velvet.

She handed the box to Mr. Todd who opened it. We all peered inside to see that it contained what had to have been the most beautiful set of razors in all of London. Mr. Todd ran his hand over the blades, as if he was caressing a lover he had not seen in years. "Those handles is chased silver, ain't they?" Mother inquired.

"Silver, yes…" Mr. Todd replied distractedly.

Gently, like handling a newborn child, Mr. Todd lifted one of the razors from its resting place while sitting the others on the ground beside him.

"**These are my friends,**

**See how they glisten.**

**See this one shine,**

**How he smiles in the light.**

**My friend, my faithful friend."**

When the blade flicked open and glinted dangerously in the fading sunlight, a warm, tingling sensation erupted on my collarbone. I clasped my hand on the spot, attempting to stop the strange sensation.

"**Speak to me friend,**

**Whisper, I'll listen.**

**I know, I know-**

**You've been locked out of sight**

**All these years-**

**Like me, my friend.**

**Well, I've come home**

**To find you waiting.**

**Home,**

**And we're together,**

**And we'll do wonders,**

Won't we?"

The sensation dulled but was still there as I pulled my hand away to inspect the spot. The 'T' shaped scar on my collarbone seemed to be the source of tingles. 'That's strange,' I thought, gently prodding the faint mark.

_"T for Todd," she muttered, putting her book back in the nightstand drawer, "I've been branded."_

I quickly shook my head to rid myself of whatever strange tricks my mind was trying to play on me. To distract myself, I turned my focus back on to Mr. Todd who had flicked open another razor. Mother, who seemed entranced, also joined in.

"**You there, my friend,**

**Come, let me hold you.**

**Now, with a sigh**

**You grow warm**

**In my hand,**

**My friend,**

**My clever friend."**

"**I'm your friend too, Mr. Todd.**

**If you only knew, Mr. Todd-**

**Ooh, Mr. Todd,**

**You're warm**

**In my hand.**

**You've come home.**

**Always had a fondness for you,**

**I did."**

"**Rest now, my friends.**

**Soon I'll unfold you.**

**Soon you'll know splendors**

**You never have dreamed**

All your days—

"**Never you fear, Mr. Todd,**

**You can move in here, Mr. Todd.**

**Splendors you never have dreamed**

**All your days**

**Will be yours."**

—**My lucky friends."**

"**I'm your friend.**

**And you're mine."**

"Till now your shine—"Don't they shine beautiful?"

**-Was merely silver."**

"**Silver's good enough for me,**

**Mr. T..."**

"**Friends,**

**You shall drip rubies,**

You'll soon drip precious

**Rubies..."**

By the end of it all, Mr. Todd was gazing lovingly at his razor, Mother was gazing at _him _in completeadoration, and I was feeling much like an unwanted bystander. Mr. Todd tore his gaze away from his razor and seemed to realize just how close Mother had gotten to him. "Leave me," he ordered.

Looking dejected, Mother stood and made her way towards the door. Not wanting to be alone with the strange man, I was quick to follow. I entered the shop and found Mother chopping up some vegetables for dinner with a deep frown on her face. Knowing that she didn't want to be disturbed, I went into the parlor and began to read, as childish as it sounds, _Beauty and the Beast_. I had always loved fairytales but that didn't mean I was no stranger to higher forms of literature, such as Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_. Even though _Beauty and the Beast _could always distract me, it just wasn't performing it's usual magic on me that day. My eyes would be running over the words and my hand would turn the page, but my thoughts remained solely focused on the strange hallucination-type things I had been having since Mr. Todd arrived. _'Not only am I having hallucinations,' _I thought, turning another page, _'He seems so familiar. It's like I've met him somewhere before…'_

Dinner finally came around, and Mother and I took our usual spots at the booth. We spooned vegetable soup into our mouths in a strange silence. Well, silence wasn't strange coming from me per say, but Mother would usual talk and I would write responses out on my pad. Suddenly, a thought struck me and I scribbled down on my paper, 'Won't Mr. Todd be joining us?'

"Not tonight, love."

'Would you like me to take a bowl up to him?'

"That won't be necessary, dearie. I was planning to take him one after I'm done."

'Well, why not just let me do it? I'm almost finished, and you've got more than half your bowl to go.'

"Kelsie, he doesn't know of your condition yet. He would probably think it was rude if you didn't say anything to him."

'Well, I can write him a note explaining it. Well, I doubt he'd mind much if I didn't speak anyway. He doesn't seem like the social type.'

"NO!"

I flinched as Mother banged on the table with her fist. I almost cringed again when I looked into her eyes and saw a cold fury. She stood up, whisked both our bowls away, and all but threw them onto the counter to be cleaned. She turned her glaring gaze back onto me, but her expression softened when she noted the slight fear my own eyes held. She closed her eyes and heaved a great sigh. She approached me and lovingly brushed her hand across my cheek and into my hair. "I'm sorry, Kelsie," she said, running her fingers through my hair, "It's just that I'm a little stressed out about having Mr. Todd here. He's not the Benjamin Barker I once knew. I don't know what to expect from him, and it's putting me on edge. I just don't want you to be alone with him yet; not until I'm sure he's not going to be a threat to you. Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"That's my sweet girl. Now, go get some rest; it's been a long day for the both of us."

I nodded again before collecting my paper and pencil and heading to my bedroom. I changed into a nightgown, laid down in my bed, and was asleep before I even hit the pillow.

**AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Don't forget to review! **


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